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3 Reasons to Check Your Black Male Privilege
Oppression has layers — let’s unpack this
Months ago, I witnessed a Black man attempting to censor a Black woman’s writing. He told her there was no need to write a “divisive” piece because he’s already speaking up for Black women.
What this man and the rest of society need to understand is that Black women face unique challenges and that our voices are unparalleled, valuable, and necessary. How ironic that a man writing about Black women’s issues would try to tone-police and silence a Black woman. Why did he feel entitled to do so?
It’s called Black male privilege.
If you think privilege is something from which only White people benefit, you are sadly mistaken. That’s why Black writers roll their eyes whenever we hear a White person complain, “I’m White, but I’m poor. How can I be privileged?” What they fail to understand is that people benefit from privilege on a spectrum. Sure, a White man from a low-income family has fewer privileges compared to a wealthy White man. However, both experience greater privileges than Black men.
To live in a society where everyone receives equal treatment, Black men have to check their privilege at the front door.
You would think Black men would understand their privilege given the discrimination they experience. But many don’t; some deny it even exists. Just as many White men reject the need for feminism, many Black men stand in opposition to womanism. Ironically, both movements try to create an equal society (although feminism has a terrible track record).
Black male privilege is a phenomenon that causes Black men to prioritize their role as victims of White supremacy while minimizing the struggles of Black women. In the aftermath of Breonna Taylor’s death and Megan Thee Stallion’s shooting, Black people have experienced a reckoning within a reckoning.
